A QAJAR LACQUER PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH THE HOLY...
A QAJAR LACQUER PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH THE HOLY FAMILY
Iran, second half of the 19th century
Of oblong form with a sliding tray, the exterior painted with the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus (inscribed in the central cartouche as Maryam, Hazrate ‘Īsā [Jesus]), St. Joseph and three apostles, identified as such by the Persian inscription on the left 'ḥawāriyyīn' (al-Hawariyoon) - the Arabic term used in the Qur'an and Islamic tradition to refer to as the disciples of the Apostles of Jesus (Isa) son of Mary - within an oval cartouche, set against a gilded ground decorated with minute polychrome flowers amidst vegetal scrolls; biblical scenes such as this one were often inspired by European models circulating in the form of devotional prints or paintings.
21.2cm long
For a related example on the subject see:
Bonhams London, Islamic and Indian Art, online sale, 18–26 May 2023, lot 355.
A QAJAR LACQUER PAPIER-MÂCHÉ PEN CASE (QALAMDAN) WITH THE HOLY FAMILY
Iran, second half of the 19th century
Of oblong form with a sliding tray, the exterior painted with the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus (inscribed in the central cartouche as Maryam, Hazrate ‘Īsā [Jesus]), St. Joseph and three apostles, identified as such by the Persian inscription on the left 'ḥawāriyyīn' (al-Hawariyoon) - the Arabic term used in the Qur'an and Islamic tradition to refer to as the disciples of the Apostles of Jesus (Isa) son of Mary - within an oval cartouche, set against a gilded ground decorated with minute polychrome flowers amidst vegetal scrolls; biblical scenes such as this one were often inspired by European models circulating in the form of devotional prints or paintings.
21.2cm long
For a related example on the subject see:
Bonhams London, Islamic and Indian Art, online sale, 18–26 May 2023, lot 355.
